In the textile industry, it is common to laminate various sorts of fabric material, such as upholstery fabric or other knit or woven fabrics, to a foam binding layer to provide the fabric with increased structural integrity or to provide padding to whatever article the fabric is ultimately applied. Examples of such usages include upholstery material for automobile interiors or furniture, linings to certain clothing items, or wall covering fabrics used in interior design. In such applications, the synthetic foam materials are typically laminated to the fabric material via an adhesive or, in some cases, thermal or "melt" bonding.
Depending on how they are used, such foam materials present several problems to the manufacturing industry as well as the end user. First, and perhaps foremost, the manufacture and disposal of synthetic foam materials, often made of polyurethane or polyester, pose significant handling problem and negative environmental effects. These problems are associated with the toxic and nonbiodegradable nature of the chemicals, such as toluene diisocyanate, used to produce the foam material and the foam products. In addition, such products, when exposed to flame, produce toxic gases and other by-products which can severely, if not completely, exacerbate life rescue attempts from buildings or automobiles where the materials are used or manufactured. Moreover, because such materials are often used in small thicknesses, they are often highly fragile and thus present handling problems during the lamination process. Still further, such materials are often susceptible to chemical decomposition or breakdown over long periods of time.
Nonwoven materials of various types have been explored as possible substitutes for synthetic foams in various environments. However, to date, such efforts have been generally unsuccessful, producing products having poor uniformity, poor density and poor delamination qualities.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a product suitable for use as a backing layer for fabrics, which product provides both integrity to the fabric material and padding to the articles to which the laminated material is applied.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an environmentally safe and nontoxic alternative to foam materials for the laminated fabric industry.
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a backing material which maintains its structural integrity and is not susceptible to chemical decomposition or breakdown.
Still further, it is an object of this invention to provide a backing material that is durable during the manufacturing and laminating stages and which is less expensive to make and use than other known materials.